this is "focus on europe." i'm lara babalola. welcome. the war in ukraine is escalating, after moscow fired a barrage of missiles on areas far from the front line in ukraine. fear and uncertainty have now returned to places of relative calm and safety. the latest attacks hit several civilian targets. russian president vladimir putin says the shelling is retaliation for the explosion on a key bridge linking russia to the annexed region of crimea. even though it is still unclear

who is responsible for that attack. the barrage of strikes destroyed critical infrastructure across ukraine. water and electricity plants were hit, as well as residential homes. for civilians, the trauma of war is being compounded by worry over the coming months. winter is looming and in ukraine temperatures often fall below zero degrees celsius. many people now face the reality of getting through it without heat or hot water. reporter: rockets have been raining down on kharkiv for months. and the apartment buildings in the eastern district of saltivka have borne the brunt of it. leonid lives on the first floor. the impacts have ripped through his apartment. destroying walls, furniture, the refrigerator. with his windowpanes gone, the wind blows right through the

flat. leonid is trying to prepare for the winter. >> i'll figure something out, and look around to make things pleasant and comfortable for myself. i might buy a sheet of metal, attach it here, and make a hole in it. i could set up a woodstove. because you can cook on that, and it gives off heat. that would help leonid be less dependent on electricity. when a russian rocket hit this power plant near kharkiv, his flat was also affected by the blackout. parts of the power grid in eastern ukraine were out for hours, there was no electricity or running water, and the subway in this city with more than a million residents stood still. >> hundreds of thoands of ukrainians were sitting in the dark without power. homes, hospitals, schools, municipal infrastructure. russian rockets are aiming straight for targets that have nothing to do with our armed

forces' infrastructure. in president zelenskyy's hometown of kryvyi rih, a dam was severely damaged. several streets flooded. and the drinking water supply to the city of more than 600,000 largely stopped working. russian attacks on critical infrastructure in ukraine are on the rise. the government fears the country is facing its toughest winter since gaining independence in 1991. that's partly why so much maintenance work is currently underway. like here, on a substation in the solomianskyi district of kyiv. the team from the local power grid is preparing the capital to weather the cold season. they are very aware of potential attacks on the grid. >> if these attacks keep up, there may be interruptions to

the power supply for residents and other consumers. but we're preparing for that kind of scenario. we've put together plans in coordination with the municipal administration and the central energy system. if that happens somewhere, we'll do our job. the war has caused the country's energy consumption to plummet. much of the industrial sector has shut down. and millions of people have fled abroad. energy experts say ukraine is currently using 40% less than its average electricity and gas consumption. they say the country is prepared for winter. >> we have enough gas reserves and enough coal. we might even make a profit from selling power. we can make it fine through the winter. but only if rockets don't hit our infrastructure, such as our combined heat and power stations, nuclear plants, or

other power plants. if they get hit, they'll stop working. reporter: that's part of the reason why the government is urging people to also independently prepare for winter. lucia is running out of time. her house near hostomel airport was hit half a year ago by a russian projectile. the only reason she and her family survived, is because they'd already fled. >> at first, i cried a lot it was really hard for me. my fourteen-year-old son got up in the morning and said, 'mom, don't cry. i'll rebuild your house.' reporter: they're currently staying at their neighbors. but in just two weeks they will have to return to their still unfinished house which they've been rebuilding with the help of volunteers. there is still no heating.

>> we need a boiler. either one that runs on solid fuel or electric. because we don't have any gas, and we're not getting it back. so solid fuel or electric, but they both cost money. and that's really unrealistic for people who've lost everything. lucia is thinking about taking out a loan to protect her family from the cold. the war has stripped ukrainians of security. many houselds are tit on money. and millions of people are heading into the winter months plagued with uncertainty. lara: italy is on the cusp of a historic change of government. the country is poised to have its first female prime minister, once the results are confirmed. and giorgia meloni will also be italy's first far-right leader since world war ii. she is crystal clear about her vision for the country. meloni is a champion for

conservative family values and rejects the lgbtq community, one that monica and maria belong to. the couple lives in sicily and meloni's victory has set off alarm bells for them. they fear the far-right leader and her brothers of italy party will threaten their family values. reporter: monica savoca comes from catania, a city in sicily. her wife maria carreras is from barcelona. they met 15 years ago, and describe their meeting as love at first sight. shortly afterward, maria gave birth to her son pau with the help of a sperm donation. and nine months later, monica had her daughter mia the same way. >> you can taste it now and later. >> why such a big spoon? >> would you rather lick it off my fingers? >> no! reporter: the election victory of the

far-right party coalition cast a cloud over the family. monica and maria worry about the future. >> our children are well aware of what's going on. and now when they hear the name giorgia meloni, they get scared. they asked us what would happen. we reassured them they shouldn't worry. reporter: their children are alarmed because of speeches like this one by giorgia meloni, the leader of the far-right brothers of italy party. >> yes to the traditional family. no to the lgbt lobby. yes to sexual identity. no to gender ideology. yes to the culture of life. no tthe culture of death. strong words which carry all the way to mount etna in catania. maria and monica fear hard times lie ahead for families like theirs, and that the lgbtq community will face an erosion of civil rights under the new administration.

>> giorgia meloni scares me because so far she hasn't shifted her positions. so i doubt that she will change them now. and this goes beyond a political agenda, it's a precise idea of what society and politics should look like. i fear that minority rights will see a big setback. reporter: both women work in academia and they also worry that the aggressive rhetoric will poison the social climate. >> the danger is these things become acceptable. that you can insult women or be openly homophobic without any consequences. reporter: during the election campaign, giorgia meloni tried to present herself as a moderate politician. but she made it clear that for her a family should only be one thing -- >> as far as the

rights of queer couples are concerned, there are already registered civil partnerships and that is quite sufficient. i'm against adoption rights for gay and lesbian couples. not because i'm homophobic, as some say. but simply because children need a mother and father and a stable relationship, which is what our current legislation already provides. reporter: flaminia saccà is a professor at the university of rome. she studies political phenomena and has taken a close look at giorgia meloni's election campaign. and at her political values. >> her campaign can be summed up with one of her slogans: 'i am a mother, i am a christian, and i am a woman.' this aptly describes her and her party's political culture. and we believe this will also be her guiding principle when she steps into office. reporter: professor sacca says this is also because the hard right party will have less margin to

take action in other areas. >> since they have little room to maneuver in economic and foreign policy, the new government is more likely to emphasize identity issues. reporter: minorities could be used as pawns to make a political mark. what this meanfor monica, maria, pau and mia is not yet foreseeable. if the situation worsens, the family already has a plan. >> if the situation gets worse, we are ready to move to another country for the safety of our children. our children are our top priority. we'd be willing to leave our home country for their rights and well-being. reporter: monica's hope is that giorgia meloni will not revert to social policies of the past, which discriminated against minorities, as such a shift

would significantly change the lives of her family and of many other italians. lara: autumn may be upon us, but the traces of europe's sweltering summer still linger. the extreme temperatures left a trail of destruction across the continent with harvests withered, rivers dried out and forests scorched. but there is a silver lining for some europeans, like those in france's champagne region. in kwiell, producers of the sparkling wine are raising a glass to an exceptional year. and winegrower cedric mousse is looking forward to an excellent champagne vintage. reporter: here in france's champagne region, winemakers have waited all year for this moment. this is when they see whether all their efforts this year have paid off. >> this is the product of our year's work. the grape harvest these next few days will decide everything.

i couldn't sleep the last few nights. reporter: cédrick moussé is a fourth generation winegrower. he's convinced 2022 is an exceptionally good champagne vintage. >> there's no rot, it's fantastic! look at these boxes, the grapes are like caviar. this will make very good champagne, it's a great year. reporter: and this although the champagne region, along with the rest of europe, experienced a heat wave this past summer, with record temperatures and drought. >> look, these grapes ripened without a drop of rain in three months, it's incredible. reporter: grapevines actually pull water from deep in the soil, thanks to their long roots.

>> droughts are a problem for most farmers. but the roots of grapevines can grow 8 to 10 meters down. they get water from deep in the soil, where there are also more nutrients and minerals. the soil impacts the grapes, just imagine how they'll taste! reporter: happy wine growers, though patience is needed. >> let's go! we'll get the wine press! reporter: it will take three years until the champagne is ready and they can taste it to see if it really is a great champagne. >> right now, this is grape juice. then, the juice turns into wine, and only then to champagne. it takes time.

this here is pure juice. it has a complex flavor, with a fresh finish and yellow fruit notes. it's very nice! reporter: an excellent harvest after two bad ones. the price of champagne, however, won't be falling anytime soon. >> this year will balance out the past two less good years. production costs remain the same every year but last year the harvest couldn't cover the costs. so i'm not sure champagne prices will drop, unfortunately, for consumers. reporter: cédrick moussé will produce over 100,000 bottles of champagne from this year's harvest. he sells to buyers around the world. >> this is 100% meunier grape variety, vintage 2017.

reporter: a vintage that's piqued this american wine buyers interest. >> it's really cool to see the beginning of the process. it's amazing. compared to last year it's night and day. we are all really excited. the demand is quite hi i wod say in n york. but in the world it's becoming more and more popular with marketing and social media. reporter: last year, a record amount of champagne was sold worldwide. cédrick moussé sends 70% of his produce abroad. >> two pallets are going to the u.s. and two to luxembourg. america is our most important market after france. reporter: cédrick moussé wants to stop exporting to russia, because of

the war in ukraine. even though this would mean a financial setback. >> i used to sell 5% of my products to russia, so roundabout 5,000 bottles per year. but this year they are not getting any until things have calmed down. today, russia is trying to conquer a part of the world and we could find ourselves at war with them tomorrow. selling them my champagne is out of the question. reporter: this aside, winegrowers here hope to sell 325 million bottles of champagne this year, which would mark a historic record! lara: shenjin in albania is a growing tourist destination located on the northern adriatic coast. living alongside the visitors are several hundred refugees

from afghanistan. they arrived at a resort after being evacuated from kabul by the united states. but what was supposed to be a brief stopover for jamshid akbari has turned into an agonizing wait. reporter: jamshid akbari always loved basketball. back home, in afghanistan, he used to coach a women's team professionally. the income comfortably sustained jamshid and his family. >> basketball is my life and was my greatest passion. i'd reached the national level, i worked as a coach, and coached a women's basketball team. reporter: but the taliban banned women's sports. jamshid managed to flee afghanistan just in time, thanks to assurances from the canadian government. but after a few weeks in qatar, he got stuck in albania as canada wouldn't take him in. he's now hoping for a u.s. visa. he shows us pictures of his family, who he had to leave behind.

his twins are just over a year old now, he hasn't seen them since they were newborns. then, his wife calls. >> i'm giving a television interview. i will talk about my problems -- loneliness, the family, the bureaucracy. i swear, all i do here is wait! over the past year, everyone told me i had been extremely lucky. because i was able to leave my country and reach albania,n europe. and that we are en route to canada or america. but i think i'm the unhappiest of all the unhappy people here. reporter: over a year has passed since

u.s. forces flew thousands of afghans out of the country folling the taliban takeover. u.s. aid agencies asked albania a poor country to take in 2,500 refugees. the refugees were brought to a hotel in the resort town of shëngjin. their stay was supposed to be a stopover, but 700 afghans remain here, stuck, among sun-bathing tourists. with each day that passes the u.s.' promise to take them in rings hollower. ahaneeta haidari and her sister were active in afghanistan's women's movement for years. they can't go back while the taliban is in power. but there isn't a clear way forward for them either. >> we were promised that all afghan refugees would be transferred from albania to canada or the u.s. within 2 to 3 months. to date that hasn't happened.

it makes us worry. reporter: we asked the u.s. embassy in albania for an interview, but were told to contact the u.s. state department in washington. but even though we did several times, we didn't get a response. we head for the albanian capital tirana, to interview prime minister edi rama. albania, after all, counted on the u.s. taking in the afghan refugees. >> i understand them, but time is passing and we don't have the feeling that the u.s. administration is processing them. we have the feeling that are here to stay. anyhow, they cannot stay forever in the hotel and they have to start to build a life. albania, however, is a poor country, with high unemployment. those who can, leave.

the afghan refugees are worrie they'll remain stuck in albania. a few months ago, they staged their first protests, and ahaneeta joined them. as you can see, albania is a poor country. we enjoy greater safety here than in afghanistan, but that is all. as refugees, we have no opportunities for education, employment or any other kind of development in this country. jamshid has almost stopped caring. all that matters to him is reuniting with his family. >> i fled from afghanistan where there's a war going on. half of all people there have no perspective, no work, and are poor. given these circumstances, life is better in albania, and i would stay.

reporter: even so, jamshid still dreams of making a new life in the u.s. together with his family. but with each passing day, his hopes slowly fade. lara: slovenia is a country known for its breathtaking landscapes. among these is the mountain resort of velika planina. it's less than an hour's drive from the capital ljublijana, but in many ways it's worlds away from the city. there's no running water or electricity. but there is a parliament, one where cows have political influence. reporter: in the herder's settlement on the velika planina, things run a little differently than down in the valley. for generations, they've been herding cows during the summer months according to their own rules. >> 50 years ago my husband brought me up here for the first time. and our children are now 50 years old. reporter: their children work here

themselves now. >> i get up at 5:00 a.m., milk the cows, clean up and prep the milk before making the cheese. that's life up here. reporter: the farmers are usually down in the valley, but from june to september, they head up to the alpine pastures. when exactly that happens is decided by the herders' parliament, which meets in this building. and that's pretty unique, says robert zamljen, who runs a small restaurant. >> we call it a parliament, as if we were a small country up here. reporter: robert and his wife only serve produce made up in the alpine pastures. this was also decided by the herder's parliament. >> for each cow you get one vote. we have six cows, so we have six votes. we vote on how to clean the pasture, where to fix the fences, where to direct the water, and which paths to repair. things like that.

reporter: with rights, however, come responsibilities. >> in the summer, the herders have to do community work. 8 hours of it per cow. reporter: in this grassroots democracy, the herder with the most cows has the biggest number of votes, but also the most community duties. old customs remain, but the alpine pasture is changing. out of 64 huts, only 13 are still inhabited. tourists love the seclusion. but what about the younger generation? >> tourism will be here for a long time, but probably not the herders. young people stay in the valley and go to school there. reporter: the hope is that a good community will encourage herders to return again next summer to this unique place in slovenia. lara: at least they don't have to worry about energy prices. that's all from us this week. thanks for watching "focus on europe." bye for now. [captioning performed by the

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11/03/22 11/03/22 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> in this regard, i have instructed the defense ministry to resume our participation in this work. russia reserves the right to withdraw if these guarantees are breached by ukraine. america seven ships departed from ukrainian ports, day after russia agreed to rejoin the deal brokered by turkey and